1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the field of serpentine product dispensers. More particularly, the invention pertains to serpentine product dispensers for nested and stacked canned goods.
2. Description of Related Art
There are a variety of materials and manufacturing methods used to make cans 1, 2, 3, 4 for canned grocery goods. The serpentine dispenser 500 described herein relates to all cans 1, 2, 3, 4 when categorized into two sub-groups: “non-nesting cans”—those that have hemmed end caps 5 at both top and bottom and cannot nest within each other when stacked, as shown in prior art FIG. 1A; and “nesting cans” or “stackable cans”—those which have only one hemmed end cap 5 on top and a drawn, nestable stacking design 6 on the bottom as shown in prior art FIG. 1B. Nesting and stackable cans 3, 4 are found in a wide variety of sizes and have different top cap 5 and bottom designs 6 that create different depths (“Dn”, FIG. 1B) to which the base of an upper can 4 nests down into the cap of a lower can 3 when stacked and nested. Generally these two designs account for nearly all cans found in grocery stores. While “can” may refer to traditional metal alloy cans or can-like packages molded from various plastics, as used herein the term generally refers to any product package capable of rolling, regardless of material of manufacture, or specific geometry.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,992,747, for example, shows a modular serpentine dispenser for products capable of rolling, such as cans contained in a carton in a single row configuration, or “single facing” as known in the industry. This configuration houses a single row of cans, using one left side wall and one right side wall with various connecting surfaces between the side walls forming a housing, channels, and inclined ramps which hold the carton and direct rolling products exiting the carton to a location where they can be selected by a consumer. The dispenser is also assembled in “multiple facing” configurations, using the above configuration and additional middle walls or dividing ribs separating individual rows, or multiple facings, of products.
Prior art FIGS. 2A and 2B show a multiple facing configuration with two rows of cans. The carton, also referred to as cartridge 220, includes paperboard separator panels, or “slip sheets” 210 as they are commonly known in the industry, between layers of cans 1, 2, 3, 4 to keep them separated during transit. Similar packaging methods are currently in use in the field, especially with bulk packed canned cat food, for example.
FIGS. 2A and 2B show that after insertion into the dispenser 200, slip sheet 210 inside the cartridge 220 aligns both vertically and front to rear with the divider wall 230 in the dispenser 200.
This configuration and alignment causes the cans 1, 2, 3, 4 in each column to roll out of the cartridge 220, drop downward into their respective sides of the dispenser's lower channel 240, and roll forward smoothly to the front dispensing location for selection by a consumer. The uppermost edge 250 of the dividing walls 230 may taper to a knife edge to further facilitate this alignment and smooth feeding from the cartridge 220 to the lower channel 240. These parts, designs, and alignments are necessary to keep the cans 1, 2, 3, 4 from feeding out of the cartridge 220 and onto the top edge 250 of the divider wall 230 and causing a feed jam at that location. Similarly, the middle walls between the facing rows of the dispenser assembly are necessary to keep the cans from entering the lower feed channel and ramp in a random manner and creating a jam in the lower feed channel.